An ageing defence and a weakened attack mean Colombia's form has dipped in the
run-up to Brazil

In their most recent World Cup warm-up match against Tunisia, Colombia had major issues. Maybe we can attribute it to rust, or a total lack of cohesion, because their last international was way back in November; but some worrying signs did come to light.

With less than 85 days to go until the World Cup, many countries are starting to see long domestic seasons take their toll, and Colombia are no exception. Now the question remains: will this squad be able to turn their fortunes around in time after this latest disappointing performance?

Problems up top

Colombia miss Radamel Falcao. There, I said it.

Yes, they miss their talisman for all the tangible, technical, tactical and intangible reasons that can be imagined. Ok, now that I am done with that, let me continue by saying there were even bigger issues that came to the fore during the final international window prior to the World Cup.

Porto's Jackson Martínez is one of the most lethal scorers in European football but that has not necessarily transferred over to the international scene. This season, playing for the national team has been a major struggle for him, but on the flip side he’s the leading goalscorer in the Portuguese league.

The same goes for Adrián Ramos, who seemed lost on returning to the national team picture after a 28-month absence.

The Hertha Berlin front man was unable to establish a partnership with either Teófilo Gutiérrez or Carlos Bacca up top and missed a golden chance to score the game-winner towards the end of the match. It became more apparent that the best partner for Teófilo is Falcao; but other partnerships need to grow - and quickly.

Rodriguez, the true key?

In the Colombian midfield there was also a major issue. James Rodriguez was man marked and saw his touches limited. If there is a player that Colombia depend on just as much as Falcao, it's his AS Monaco teammate.

Rodriguez is the man who pulls the strings in midfield and was the lone shining light on a bad night for Los Cafeteros. When he did get the chances to create, he showed he was the only man on the pitch who had the X-factor. Unfortunately for Colombia, those opportunities were few and far between.

There were major issues establishing passing options to Rodríguez while Tunisia flooded the middle of the park. For every pass forward, there were two that went backwards and it neutralised the team's offensive stars like Juan Guillermo Cuadrado.

What made Colombia so dangerous during World Cup qualifiers was the space they managed to create all over the pitch, allowing room for Rodríguez to operate behind the forwards. However, against Tunisia this did not occure on a consistent basis. And what was even more worrying were the errant passes which led, at times, to furious counterattacks.

Defensive woes

My previous point extends into defence, as errant passes in midfield exposed a vulnerable back four that was completely out of position. Luis Amaranto Perea's sending off was a prime example for what can happen if an opponent's counter-attacks are not handled more skilfully.

Defensively, Colombia need to start looking at a generational change. A backline with an average age of 36 showed why players like Éder Álvarez Balanta, Cristián Zapata and, eventually, Pedro Franco have to be considered. Perea is a liability and always walking on a knife edge. He's either out of position or sending out errant passes that could leave Colombia in trouble. Yepes, at this stage of his career, is even worse.

Fortunately, Tunisia were profligate in front of goal but on several occasions Ospina was forced to exert himself. The key for Tunisia was taking advantage of the space behind the defensive midfielders and an ageing backline.

Colombia's weaknesses, opponents' strengths

All in all, Colombia committed some major errors that future opponents will have taken note of.

Japan can use their speed against this slow-footed Colombian side. Greece will look to win the aerial battle at set pieces. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, will be confident that Drogba, Gervinho and Kalou can outmuscle Perea and Yepes.

Hard work lies ahead for José Pekerman and Colombia as they prepare for a group they were initially installed as favourites to get out of - but that has surely has eroded just a little bit.

Still, with the way modern football is handled, the key is not to be strong in March; it's to be performing well come June. That will be Colombia's biggest task before they take on Greece.